Long March 3B
![]() Rendering of Long March 3B | |
Function | Launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) |
Country of origin | China |
Cost per launch | US$50-70 million [1][2][3] |
Size | |
Height | |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) [4] |
Mass |
|
Stages | 3 / 4 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | |
Mass | 11,500 kg (25,400 lb) [6][7] |
Payload to SSO | |
Mass | 7,100 kg (15,700 lb) [6][7] |
Payload to GTO | |
Mass | |
Payload to GEO | |
Mass | 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) [7] |
Payload to HCO | |
Mass | 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) [6][7] |
Associated rockets | |
Family | Long March |
Derivative work | Long March 3C |
Comparable | |
Launch history | |
Status |
|
Launch sites | Xichang LC-2, LC-3 |
Total launches |
|
Success(es) |
|
Failure(s) |
|
Partial failure(s) |
|
First flight |
|
Last flight |
|
Type of passengers/cargo | |
Boosters (3B) | |
No. boosters | 4 |
Height | 15.33 m (50.3 ft) |
Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
Propellant mass | 37,700 kg (83,100 lb) |
Powered by | 1 × YF-25 |
Maximum thrust | 740.4 kN (166,400 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s) |
Burn time | 127 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
Boosters (3B/E) | |
No. boosters | 4 |
Height | 16.1 m (53 ft) |
Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
Propellant mass | 41,100 kg (90,600 lb) |
Powered by | 1 × YF-25 |
Maximum thrust | 740.4 kN (166,400 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s) |
Burn time | 140 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
First stage (3B) | |
Height | 23.27 m (76.3 ft) |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
Propellant mass | 171,800 kg (378,800 lb) |
Powered by | 4 × YF-21C |
Maximum thrust | 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s) |
Burn time | 145 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
First stage (3B/E) | |
Height | 24.76 m (81.2 ft) |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
Propellant mass | 186,200 kg (410,500 lb) |
Powered by | 4 × YF-21C |
Maximum thrust | 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s) |
Burn time | 158 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
Second stage | |
Height | 12.92 m (42.4 ft) |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
Propellant mass | 49,400 kg (108,900 lb) |
Powered by | |
Maximum thrust |
|
Specific impulse |
|
Burn time | 185 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
Third stage | |
Height | 12.38 m (40.6 ft) |
Diameter | 3.0 m (9.8 ft) |
Propellant mass | 18,200 kg (40,100 lb) |
Powered by | 2 × YF-75 |
Maximum thrust | 167.17 kN (37,580 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 4,295 m/s (438.0 s) |
Burn time | 478 seconds |
Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Fourth stage (optional) – YZ-1 | |
Powered by | 1 × YF-50D |
Maximum thrust | 6.5 kN (1,500 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 315.5 s (3.094 km/s) |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
The Long March 3B (Chinese: 长征
An enhanced version, the Long March 3B/E or G2, was introduced in 2007 to increase the rocket's geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) cargo capacity and lift heavier geosynchronous orbit (GEO) communications satellites. The Long March 3B also served as the basis for the medium-capacity Long March 3C, which was first launched in 2008.
As of 30 May 2024[update], the Long March 3B, 3B/E and 3B/G5 have conducted 92 successful launches, plus 2 failures and 2 partial failures, accumulating a success rate of 95.8%.
History
[edit]The development of the Long March 3B began in 1986 to meet the needs of the international GEO communications satellite market. During its maiden flight, on 14 February 1996 carrying the Intelsat 708 satellite, the rocket suffered a guidance failure two seconds into the flight and destroyed a nearby town, killing at least six people,[8] but outside estimates suggest that anywhere between 200 and 500 people might have been killed.[9] However, the author of the report[9] later ruled out large casualties, because evidence suggest that the crash site was evacuated before the launch.[10]
The Long March 3B and 3B/E rockets conducted ten successful launches between 1997 and 2008.[5]
In 1997, the Agila 2 satellite was forced to use onboard propellant to reach its correct orbit because of poor injection accuracy on the part of its Long March 3B launch vehicle.[11] In 2009, a Long March 3B partially failed during launch due to a third stage anomaly, which resulted in the Palapa-D satellite reaching a lower orbit than planned.[12] Nonetheless, the satellite was able to maneuver itself into the planned orbit. The Long March 3B and its variants remain in active use as of January 2021[update], having conducted a total of 26 consecutive successful launches, since 19 June 2017 until 9 March 2020.
In December 2013, a Long March 3B/E successfully lifted Chang'e 3, China's first Lunar lander and rover into the projected lunar-transfer orbit.
In April 2020, the third stage of the Long March 3B/E failed during a Palapa-N1 communications satellite mission; this was the first total failure of the Long March 3B/E.[13]
Design and variants
[edit]The Long March 3B is based on the Long March 3A as its core stage, with four liquid boosters strapped on the first stage. It has a low Earth orbit (LEO) cargo capacity of 11,200 kg (24,700 lb) and a GTO capacity is 5,100 kg (11,200 lb).
Long March 3B/E
[edit]The Long March 3B/E, also known as 3B/G2, is an enhanced variant of the Long March 3B, featuring an enlarged first stage and boosters, increasing its GTO payload capacity to 5,500 kg (12,100 lb).[14] Its maiden flight took place on 13 May 2007, when it successfully launched Nigeria's NigComSat-1, the first African geosynchronous communications satellite. In 2013, it successfully launched China's first lunar lander Chang'e 3 and lunar rover Yutu.
Since 2015, the Long March 3B and 3C can optionally accommodate a YZ-1 upper stage, which has been used to carry dual launches or BeiDou navigation satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO).
Long March 3C
[edit]A modified version of the Long March 3B, the Long March 3C, was developed in the mid-1990s to bridge the gap in payload capacity between the Long March 3B and 3A. It is almost identical to the Long March 3B, but has two boosters instead of four, giving it a reduced GTO payload capacity of 3,800 kg (8,400 lb). Its maiden launch took place on 25 April 2008.
Launch statistics
[edit]- Failure
- Partial failure
- Success
- Planned
List of launches
[edit]Flight number | Serial number | Date (UTC) | Launch site | Version | Payload | Orbit | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Y1 | 14 February 1996 19:01 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Intelsat 708 | GTO | Failure |
2 | Y2 | 19 August 1997 17:50 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Agila-2 | GTO | Success |
3 | Y3 | 16 October 1997 19:13 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | APStar 2R | GTO | Success |
4 | Y5 | 30 May 1998 10:00 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Chinastar 1 | GTO | Success |
5 | Y4 | 18 July 1998 09:20 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | SinoSat 1 | GTO | Success |
6 | Y6 | 12 April 2005 12:00 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | APStar 6 | GTO | Success |
7 | Y7 | 28 October 2006 16:20 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | SinoSat 2 | GTO | Success |
8 | Y9 | 13 May 2007 16:01 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | NigComSat-1 | GTO | Success |
9 | Y10 | 5 July 2007 12:08 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | ChinaSat 6B | GTO | Success |
10 | Y11 | 9 June 2008 12:15 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | ChinaSat 9 | GTO | Success |
11 | Y12 | 29 October 2008 16:53 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Venesat-1 | GTO | Success |
12 | Y8 | 31 August 2009 09:28 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Palapa-D | GTO | Partial Failure |
13 | Y13 | 4 September 2010 16:14 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | SinoSat 6 | GTO | Success |
14 | Y20 | 20 June 2011 16:13 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 10 | GTO | Success |
15 | Y19 | 11 August 2011 16:15 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Paksat-1R | GTO | Success |
16 | Y16 | 18 September 2011 16:33 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 1A | GTO | Success |
17 | Y18 | 7 October 2011 08:21 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Eutelsat W3C | GTO | Success |
18 | Y21 | 19 December 2011 16:41 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | NigComSat-1R | GTO | Success |
19 | Y22 | 31 March 2012 10:27 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | APStar 7 | GTO | Success |
20 | Y14 | 29 April 2012 20:50 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Compass-M3 Compass-M4 |
MEO | Success |
21 | Y17 | 26 May 2012 15:56 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 2A | GTO | Success |
22 | Y15 | 18 September 2012 19:10 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B | Compass-M5 Compass-M6 |
MEO | Success |
23 | Y24 | 27 November 2012 10:13 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 12 | GTO | Success |
24 | Y25 | 1 May 2013 16:06 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 11 | GTO | Success |
25 | Y23 | 1 December 2013 17:30 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Chang'e 3 | TLI | Success |
26 | Y27 | 20 December 2013 16:42 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Túpac Katari 1 | GTO | Success |
27 | Y26 | 25 July 2015 12:29 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou M1-S BeiDou M2-S |
MEO | Success |
28 | Y32 | 12 September 2015 15:42 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TJS-1 | GTO | Success |
29 | Y33 | 29 September 2015 23:13 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | BeiDou I2-S | GTO | Success |
30 | Y36 | 16 October 2015 16:16 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | APStar 9 | GTO | Success |
31 | Y34 | 3 November 2015 16:25 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 2C | GTO | Success |
32 | Y38 | 20 November 2015 16:07 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | LaoSat-1 | GTO | Success |
33 | Y31 | 9 December 2015 16:46 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 1C | GTO | Success |
34 | Y37 | 28 December 2015 16:04 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Gaofen 4 | GTO | Success |
35 | Y29 | 15 January 2016 16:57 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | Belintersat-1 | GTO | Success |
36 | Y35 | 5 August 2016 16:22 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | Tiantong 1-01 | GTO | Success |
37 | Y42 | 10 December 2016 16:11 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | Fengyun-4A | GTO | Success |
38 | Y39 | 5 January 2017 15:18 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TJS-2 | GTO | Success |
39 | Y43 | 12 April 2017 11:04 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Shijian 13 | GTO | Success |
40 | Y28 | 19 June 2017 16:11 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Chinasat 9A | GTO | Partial failure |
41 | Y46 | 5 November 2017 11:45 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M1 BeiDou-3 M2 |
MEO | Success |
42 | Y40 | 10 December 2017 16:40 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Alcomsat-1 | GTO | Success |
43 | Y45 | 11 January 2018 23:18 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M7 BeiDou-3 M8 |
MEO | Success |
44 | Y47 | 12 February 2018 05:03 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M3 BeiDou-3 M4 |
MEO | Success |
45 | Y48 | 29 March 2018 17:56 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M9 BeiDou-3 M10 |
MEO | Success |
46 | Y55 | 3 May 2018 16:06 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Apstar 6C | GTO | Success |
47 | Y49 | 29 July 2018 01:48 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M5 BeiDou-3 M6 |
MEO | Success |
48 | Y50 | 24 August 2018 23:52 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M11 BeiDou-3 M12 |
MEO | Success |
49 | Y51 | 19 September 2018 14:07 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M13 BeiDou-3 M14 |
MEO | Success |
50 | Y52 | 15 October 2018 04:23 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M15 BeiDou-3 M16 |
MEO | Success |
51 | Y41 | 1 November 2018 15:57 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 G1 | GTO | Success |
52 | Y53 | 18 November 2018 18:07 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M17 BeiDou-3 M18 |
MEO | Success |
53 | Y30 | 7 December 2018 18:23 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Chang'e 4 | TLI | Success |
54 | Y56 | 10 January 2019 17:11 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 2D | GTO | Success |
55 | Y54 | 9 March 2019 16:28 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 6C | GTO | Success |
56 | Y44 | 31 March 2019 15:51 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Tianlian 2-01 | GTO | Success |
57 | Y59 | 20 April 2019 14:41 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 I1 | GTO | Success |
58 | Y60 | 24 June, 2019 18:09 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 I2 | GTO | Success |
59 | Y58 | 19 August 2019 12:03 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 18 | GTO | Success |
60 | Y65 | 22 September 2019 21:10 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M23 BeiDou-3 M24 |
MEO | Success |
61 | Y57 | 17 October 2019 15:21 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | TJS-4 | GTO | Success |
62 | Y61 | 4 November 2019 17:43 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 I3 | GTO | Success |
63 | Y66 | 23 November 2019 00:55 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M21 BeiDou-3 M22 |
MEO | Success |
64 | Y67 | 16 December 2019 07:22 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M19 BeiDou-3 M20 |
MEO | Success |
65 | Y62 | 7 January 2020 15:20 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TJS-5 | GTO | Success |
66 | Y69 | 9 March 2020 11:55 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 G2 | GTO | Success |
67 | Y71 | 9 April 2020 11:46 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) | GTO | Failure [15] |
68 | Y68 | 23 June 2020 01:43 [16] |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 G3 | GTO | Success |
69 | Y64 | 9 July 2020 12:11 [17] |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Apstar 6D | GTO | Success |
70 | Y63 | 11 October 2020 16:57 [18] |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Gaofen-13 | GTO | Success |
71 | Y73 | 12 November 2020 15:59 [19] |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Tiantong 1-02 | GTO | Success |
72 | Y70 | 6 December 2020 03:58 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | Gaofen-14 | SSO | Success |
73 | Y74 | 19 January 2021 16:25 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Tiantong 1-03 | GTO | Success |
74 | Y77 | 4 February 2021 15:36 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | TJS-6 | GTO | Success |
75 | Y72 | 2 June 2021 16:17 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Fengyun 4B | GTO | Success |
76 | Y76 | 5 August 2021 16:30 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 2E | GTO | Success |
77 | Y78 | 24 August 2021 15:41 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | TJS-7 | GTO | Success |
78 | Y86 | 9 September 2021 11:50 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 9B | GTO | Success |
79 | Y81 | 27 September 2021 08:20 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Shiyan 10 | GTO | Success[20] |
80 | Y83 | 24 October 2021 01:27:03 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Shijian-21 | GTO | Success |
81 | Y79 | 26 November 2021 16:40:04 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 1D | GTO | Success |
82 | Y82 | 13 December 2021 16:09 |
XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E | Tianlian II-02 | GTO | Success |
83 | Y84 | 29 December 2021 16:43 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TJS-9 | GTO | Success |
84 | Y89 | 15 April 2022 12:00 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 6D | GTO | Success |
85 | Y85 | 12 July 2022 16:30 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Tianlian II-03 | GTO | Success |
86 | Y91 | 5 November 2022 11:50 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 19 | GTO | Success |
87 | Y88 | 29 December 2022 04:43 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Shiyan 10-02 | GTO | Success |
88 | Y93 | 23 February 2023 11:49 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 26 | GTO | Success |
89 | Y90 | 17 March 2023 08:33 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Gaofen 13-02 | GTO | Success |
90 | Y87 | 17 May 2023 02:49 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | BeiDou-3 G4 | GTO | Success |
91 | Y92 | 12 August 2023 17:26 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Ludi Tance-4 01A | GTO | Success |
92 | Y94 | 9 November 2023 11:23 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | ChinaSat 6E | GTO | Success |
93 | Y75 | 26 December 2023 03:26 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M25 BeiDou-3 M26 |
MEO | Success |
94 | Y95 | 29 February 2024 13:03 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-01 | GTO | Success |
95 | Y96 | 9 May 2024 01:43 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Zhihui Tianwang 1-01A Zhihui Tianwang 1-01B |
MEO | Success |
96 | Y98 | 30 May 2024 12:12 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Paksat-MM1R | GTO | Success |
97 | Y97 | 1 August 2024 13:14 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-02 | GTO | Success |
98 | Y? | 15 August 2024 01:30 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TBA | GTO | Planned |
99 | Y? | Q4 2024 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TBA | GTO | Planned |
100 | Y? | Q4 2024 |
XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E | TBA | GTO | Planned |
Flight mishaps and anomalies
[edit]Intelsat 708 launch failure
[edit]On 14 February 1996, the launch of the first Long March 3B with Intelsat 708 failed just after liftoff when the launch vehicle veered off course and exploded when it hit the ground at T+23 seconds.
The Xinhua news agency reported that six people were killed and 57 injured. However, the Americans on hand for the launch have testified that "dozens, if not hundreds", of people were seen to gather outside the centre's main gate near the crash site the night before launch.[21] When reporters were being taken away from the site, they found that most buildings had sustained serious damage or had been flattened completely.[21] Other eyewitnesses were noted as having seen dozens of ambulances and many flatbed trucks, loaded with what could have been human remains, being taken to the local hospital.[21]
The cause of the accident was traced to short-circuiting of the vehicle's guidance platform at liftoff.[22]
The participation of Space Systems/Loral in the accident investigation caused great political controversy in the United States. In 1997, the U.S. Defense Technology Security Administration found that China had obtained "significant benefit" from the Review Committee, results of which would improve their "launch vehicles ... ballistic missiles and in particular their guidance systems".
As a result, the U.S. Congress reclassified satellite technology as a munition and placed it back under the restrictive International Traffic in Arms Regulations in 1998.[23] No license to launch United States spacecraft on Chinese rockets has been approved by the U.S. State Department since then, and an official at the Bureau of Industry and Security emphasized in 2016 that "no U.S.-origin content, regardless of significance, regardless of whether it's incorporated into a foreign-made item, can go to China".[24]
Palapa-D partial launch failure
[edit]On 31 August 2009, during the launch of Palapa-D, the third stage engine under-performed and placed the satellite into a lower than planned orbit. The satellite was able to make up the performance shortfall using its own engine and reach geosynchronous orbit, but with its lifetime shortened to 10.5 years from the originally projected 15–16 years. The investigation found that the failure was due to burn-through of the engine's gas generator, and that "the most likely cause of the burn-through was a foreign matter or humidity-caused icing in the engine's liquid-hydrogen injectors".[25]
ChinaSat-9A partial launch failure
[edit]On 19 June 2017, a Long March 3B/E mission carrying ChinaSat-9A ended in partial failure. Officials did not release details regarding the status of the mission for at least 4 hours after liftoff.[26] Two weeks later, on 7 July 2017, officials confirmed that the mission had been anomalous, with Space Daily reporting that "an anomaly was found on the carrier rocket's rolling control thruster, part of the attitude control engine, during the third gliding phase". The failure in the rocket's third stage left the payload in a lower than intended orbit, and the payload was forced to spend two weeks reaching its intended orbit under its own power.[27]
Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) launch failure
[edit]On 9 April 2020, a Long March 3B launcher failed after lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan province at 11:46 UTC during the launch of an Indonesian communications satellite, Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) of a mass of 5500 kg and was expected to enter service in geostationary orbit at 113.0° East, replacing the Palapa-D satellite. But one of the two YF-75 third stage engines failed to ignite, preventing the Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) satellite from reaching orbit.[28] Wreckage from the third stage and the Palapa-N1 spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere, leading to sightings of fiery debris in the skies over Guam. With the Long March 3B failure, Chinese rockets have faltered on two missions in less than a month. A Long March 7A rocket failed to place a satellite in orbit on 16 March 2020 after taking off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island, located in southern China.[29] After two Chinese launch failures in less than a month, further Chinese launches will be likely delayed until it is sure that the quality control is satisfactory.[30]
Rocket debris
[edit]Debris from Long March 3B launches have fallen on nearby villages due to the inland location of China's launch sites. Grid fins for guiding boosters down to Earth more accurately have been tested on Long March 2C and 4B, but not yet on 3B.[31]
Notable payloads
[edit]- Beidou
- Chang'e 3
- Chang'e 4
- Eutelsat W3C
- TJS-5
- Apstar 6C
- Chinasat 9A
- Chinasat 6C
- Palapa-D
- Fengyun 4B
- NigComSat-1
- Tiantong 1-03
- Gaofen 14
References
[edit]- ^ "Cheap, reusable space launchers are still years away for Chinese military". 24 March 2021.
- ^ "How GSLV compares in the international launch market?". 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Long March 3B".
- ^ a b Mark Wade. "CZ-3B". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ a b c d "LM-3B". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011" (PDF). China Great Wall Industries Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3B (Chang Zheng-3B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- ^ Select Committee of the United States House of Representatives (3 January 1999). "Satellite Launches in the PRC: Loral". U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Lan, Chen. "Mist around the CZ-3B disaster". The Space Review. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ^ Lan, Chen. "Mist around the CZ-3B disaster (part 2)". The Space Review. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ International reference guide to space launch systems. Fourth edition. p. 243. ISBN 1-56347-591-X
- ^ ""帕拉帕-D"
通信 卫星未 能 进入预定轨道". Xinhuanet. 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009. - ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (9 April 2020). "Long March 3B fails during Indonesian satellite launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
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- ^ Jing, Zhan (9 April 2020). "PALAPA-N1卫星发射
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
[edit]- LM-3B User's Manual at GlobalSecurity.org
- Long March-3B (LM-3B) Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology